


The Boy Who Murdered Love

by LilithDarkness



Series: Memories [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2018-12-31 08:25:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12128457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilithDarkness/pseuds/LilithDarkness
Summary: Marinette was hurt once and healed. Now she's been hurt again and there maybe no healing from this one





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette stood still shocked. Slowly the burning sensation in her eyes becomes too much, tears cascade down her cheeks and fall to the floor below. Her blue eyes never leaving the green staring back.

Her emotions race through her. Hope now shattered, devastation and disgust rolling through over and over.

Slowly she realises her breaths are coming short and sharp. Closing her eyes briefly she takes a single deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before releasing it again.

Anger surges through her as green fills her vision. Such an ugly colour. Tricks people into thinking it’s nice, reminding them of open fields, trees and flowers in the spring. Makes people think of harmony, peace, new life and hope.

In reality it should remind people of nuclear waste and vomit. It’s linked to emotions such as greed and jealousy. Linked to people who are possessive, selfish and horrid in every meaning of the word.

That’s the colour staring back and Marinette at this moment. Green eyes filled with greed and  selfishness. Those eyes believe she is theirs with what she just said. A glint of happy possessiveness shone in their depths.

After everything that had happened of the last few months she was going to wipe it out. She was not going to let it survive, Those acidic green eyes are going to realise _she_ will not let it happen. All those times she thought those eyes where the best thing ever, now she knew the truth. Those eyes held nothing but lies and deceit.

She wishes she could go back to the moment that causes all this and stop it from happening...

  


Chat Noir stands still shocked. Eyes wide as he stares at her, watching as her eyes begin to glisten with tear and as they fall down her face to the floor below. Her blue never leaving his green.

Guilt and horror feels him more than he could ever imagine. Both crash over him until he feels like he’s drowning.

His gasps as if fighting for a breath between emotions. Closing his eyes for a few seconds to help focus on filling his lungs before opening them again.

Blue fills his vision, taking his breath away once again. Such a beautiful colour. The colour usually makes people think of a tropical ocean, a clear summers sky and bluebell flowers. The feeling of freedom, peace and calmness tends to wash over people.

He thinks of bottomless chasms and the unexplored depths of the oceans. Mysterious but clear at the same time. Everything is right there, all the answers to every question but only to those who have proved themselves, only for those who try.

The colour staring back at him is all that and more. Now he thinks of an open sky or calm sea before a storm hits. The blue growing darker the closer the storm gets. Mystery and loyalty wrapped in a deep sadness and anger. Eye’s so clear that the tears simply seem to summon the stars to them.

A flash like lightning fills them and for a split second everything was clear, but as that second passed the eyes became so dark. Shut off from everything and everyone. Tears still flowing but little to no emotion being shown. He doesn’t like it, he wants to change it.

He wishes he could go back to the moment that causes all this and stop it from happening…


	2. Chapter 2

The moment that caused it all…

Marinette stood proud for a moment. Here she was with Adrien stood in front of having just said how she felt. Happiness filled having been able to voice it finally to him. A large smile dances across her lips whilst a blush colours her cheeks and her eyes cast down.

After a while her smile falters. He hadn't responded yet, so she looks up. She meets his wide green eyes as they stare at her. Shock warping his face as he looks at her, yet his eyes clouded over like he wasn't seeing her. Her smile falters until it it nothing more than a slight curl of her lips.

"A-adrien?"

He jumps as she says his name, confirming he wasn't with her at least not in mind.

"Yes?"

She takes a deep breath, anxiety and disappointment over riding her happiness from moments ago.

"I s-said, um, I like you."

He stayed quiet and once again seemed to simply stare at her. Her heart slows and her happiness fades. Adrien stands still for a moment before his mouth starts opening and closing like he was trying to say something but unsure what. Despair, understanding then anger fills her. Tears start to flow from her eyes. She move one foot behind her before leaning forward and releasing her anger.

"IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME BACK JUST SAY SO!"

Adrien stood staring at her once again, mouth snapped shut. His eyes somehow widen even more than before in shock.

"Ma-Marinette… I… I"

She feels her heart clench. As he stands there gaping at her she can see it in his eyes, the sorrow and guilt about hearing her feeling. About being unable to return them. Something inside her breaks at that moment.

"He...he...hehe…"

He looks confused.

"Marinette?"

"Huh huh ha ha he…"

Her laughter fills the air. Tear still flowing down her face as she bends over, laughing. As she stands again she locks eyes with him. Shaking her head briefly.

"You know Adrien I didn't think you'd return my feelings but I at least hoped you'd be able to speak to me. Never mind. Good bye Adrien. See you Monday."

With that she turned around and ran home.

Adrien stood there as he watches Marinette's figure disappear. Plagg suddenly appeared by his shoulder.

"Well look at you."

"Urg… Plagg. What else could I have done?"

"Hmm, I don't know maybe simply form a sentence!"

"She didn't give me a chance!"

Plagg simply crossed his arms whilst staring at him. Adrien returned the stare, though his eyes were glazed over as he replays Marinette running away from him.

_How long must she have been trying to tell him that? Is that why she was always so awkward around him? How many times had he hurt her without knowing? How many times had he raised her hopes since they met?_

"Adrien… Aaaaadrieeeeen… ADRIEN!"

"What!"

Plagg scowled at him a little before speaking.

"I asked, what are you going to do now?"

"Probably go home, why?"

Plagg sighed before zooming passed Adrien's head, making sure to hit him as he passes.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"You just let a girl run away crying after you failed to accept her feelings. She going to be upset, angry and possibly a lot of self doubt. That's a lot of negative emotion. Negative emotion leads to…"

Adrien's eyes widen in shock.

"Akuma attack!"

"Bingo! He finally gets it."

Adrien swipes at the flying kawami.

"Oh be quiet."

"Yet you're still stood here!"

Adrien glares at the black kawami.

"Well I can't exactly go she her right now as Adrien can I!"

"Chat Noir could surprise his 'princess' with a visit."

Adrien shakes his head.

"It's too early for that. It'll have to be tonight if Chat's going to make a surprise appearance."

Plagg sighs and looks thoughtful.

"Well you had better hope she's a strong girl or Hawkmoth is distracted."


	3. Chapter 3

She feels jumpy and nervous. She smiles happily and feels her heart flutter at the thought of him. She soon hears the tell-tale thump on her roof before the trapdoor opens.

It's been months since she confessed to Adrien. She had gotten over it, slowly but she had a constant rock to help her through it. Chat Noir.

By chance he had popped in to see her the very same day Adrien had broke her heart. He had held her as she cried, never asked any questions and had visited at least once a week since. Each time he came around they grew closer, telling jokes, playing games, looking up stupid puns.

And over time Marinette is willing to say she slowly fell for her masked partner and saviour.

Now she was ready once again.

She was going to confess.

After all Chat must feel something for her to keep visiting her and after he finds out she's Ladybug he'll be so happy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chat pops through the trapdoor, ready to see his princess once again. Since the horrible misunderstanding 6 months back he and Marinette had been getting closer. She was now his best friend (after his lady of course). Spending time with her was always something he looked forward to along with patrols with Ladybug.

At school his relationship with her as Adrien was still and little unstable. MArinette avoided him the best she could, even going as far as to switch seats with Chloe, Ayla had followed her of course. The brunette had noticed Marinette acting differently from the start, not that she tried to hide it, and now Adrien was very happy 'if looks could kill' was only a saying.

He noticed Marinette straight away she was sat on her chair by the desk facing him, clearly waiting for him.

"Hi Chat!"

Chat froze for a moment, unsure even to himself why. Marinette had greeted him like normal but something was different, something was slightly off. He looked at her again this time taking everything in. She was sat on her chair wearing a black dress with a green ribbon around the middle. Her hair was down and a pale green ribbon was tied gently around ther neck. Her voice was also different, a little to warm, a little to welcoming. Not the way one would greet a friend, at least not from what he'd seen and experienced.

"Chat? You ok?"

Chat blinked to find stood Marinette directly in front of him. He jumped a little at took a small step back. When had she stood up and approached him, and the way she was standing. With her hands behind her back, her feet crossed over, leaning forward and looking up at him. Suddenyl it clicked.

Oh no!

The last time she had been like this was just before admitted to Adrien about how she felt.

Oh no.

Guilt filled him. Had he lead her on, gave her false hope? How would she react this time, with no place to run? He took a breath to calm himself though disguised it as a sigh. Thinking quickly he smiled.

"Yeah Marinette I'm fine. In fact I'm purrrfect."

She smiled and laughed.

"Oh Chat."

He relaxed a little.

"Hey Chat?"

He felt himself tense again.

"Y-yes?"

"I-I just wanted to say that I've re-really enjoyed your visits these pasts months and that I-I…"

Chat held his breath as Marinette seemed to give her self a pep talk. Had she done this last time? When he had been Adrien? How much courage must she have used back then and again now.

"I-I like you and ..."

"I'm sorry."

The words where out before he even thought about it. He couldn't hear her speak her heart out especially when he was going to have to apologise any way. Looking at her now he took in her shocked expression, guilt filling him.

"W-what?"

"I'm sorry Marinette but I can't accept your feelings."

The pair stared at each other for what seemed like forever. The seconds kept ticking when suddenly Marinette hissed and reached under her hair. Pulling her hands back he was able to see what she was holding. In her palm sat a pair of earings and he had a feeling he knew them or at least the shape of them from somewhere.

"No-no way."

Marinette's whisper caught his attention. She was looking at the earings as though they had betrayed her, then her eyes locked with his and there he saw more emotion then he ever wished to see.

"ADRIEN!"

He jumped at the name as it left her lips so filled with hate he couldn't believe it. His only resons was to grin sheepishly and give a little wave.

"H-hi Marinette."


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes started to glisten and the first tiny crystal tears rolled down her cheeks but it was her voice that cut through him the most.

"What?! Is this some sort of joke?"

Her voice, though no louder than a whisper seemed so cold to him. She looked down at the earrings in her hand before turning around to her dressing table, opening a drawer she pulled out a very familiar box. She gave a small yet very sad smile, he was shocked at how much emotion on little smile could hold.

She placed the earrings in the box before snapping it shut, her eyes closed at the same time. She turned to him, her tears having stopped, and her blue eyes seemed emotionless and cold. Walking back over to him she held the box out to him.

"Take it!"

Her voice was still low but he flinched, like her eyes her voice was now cold and monotone. He reached out with one gloved hand and grabbed the box, turning it over in his hands he recognised it as the same from when he received his ring.

His head snapped up to look at her and a name slipped through his lips.

"Ladybug?"

Something in her eyes snapped then, her face twisted into a frown and her once quiet voice shattered the almost silence between them.

"NOT ANY MORE! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED? WAS I NOT GOOD ENOUGH? YOU JUST HAD TO MAKE ME FALL FOR YOU TWICE DIDN'T YOU? COULDN'T JUST REJECT ME AS ADRIEN BUT HAD TO SHOVE IT IN MY FACE AS CHAT ALSO! THAT WAS YOUR PLAN RIGHT! GET RID OF MARINETTE AS LADYBUG AND GET A FRESH NEW ONE! IT'S NOT THAT HARD AFTER ALL! JUST MAKE HER FALL IN LOVE WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE MASKS, GET HER TO CONFESS AND TURN HER DOWN! THAT'S ALL IT TAKES RIGHT! AFTER ALL CHAT NOIR AND LADYBUG ARE MEANT TO BE SOULMATES!"

Chat stood there stunned at her outburst. Bits of what she said floating around his head.

_...Marinette as ladybug… get a fresh new one… fall in love… turn her down… soulmates…_

He blinks and looks at her again, tears and running down her cheeks again. They stare at each other for a moment before he reaches for her with his free hand. Marinette turns his back to her and wraps her arms around herself.

"Just go Chat, tell Master Fu I'll see him around… maybe."

Chat wasn't sure what to do, he looked at the box in his hand, the girl in front of him and the still open trap door. Without thinking he climbed out of the trap door and bounced across a couple of roofs before collapsing.

"Claws in…"

With those quiet words his suit disintegrated and he sat there as no-one other than Adrien Agreste. He stared in shock at the box still in his hand, opening it he saw the earring, red with 5 black spots.

"Well that definitely could have gone better."

Adrien jumps as he hears Plagg's voice near his ear. The black kawami was looking at the earings with a sad look in his eyes. Adrien reaches up and rubs the back of his neck.

"Yeah. But what was she shouting about? Getting a fresh new one, falling in love, turning her down, soulmates? Why did she give me her earrings if she's ladybug?"

Plagg floats around and looks Adrien in the face, he sighs and floats a little lower.

"Well that's the power of Chat Noir and Ladybug. They are two halves of a whole. Chat is bad luck and destruction and Ladybug is good luck and creation. Chat Noir is always and boy and Ladybug is always a girl. There is never a Chat Noir without a Ladybug. They are living embodiments of yin and yang. Sometimes though the pairs don't click so a restart button was created sort of. If for whatever reason one of the pair cannot fall in love with the other after they confess twice their miraculous rejects them."

Adrien stares at the floating black cat. His everything shut down. His heart stopped, his breath caught and his mind went blank.

"What?"

Adrien just stared not registering the words that slip through his lips.

"You mean to tell me all those times Ladybug turned me away didn't cause this reaction but me turning down Marinette did? What? I - I don't understand! Why didn't YOU TELL ME? MARINETTE CLEARLY KNEW!"

"WELL I NEVER THOUGHT THERE WAS ANY CHANCE OF YOU REJECTING HER!"

Adrien blinked at the kawami. Plagg had never raised his voice or gotten emotional about anything but cheese before. This was knew.

Plagg sighed, floated a little lower and began to speak.

"Over the generations of Ladybug's and Chat Noir's there was one pair that just never clicked. They were soulmates, like all the pairs before them and everyone after them too, but at the time for unknown reasons they always argued, never saw eye to eye and never had a slither of kindness for each other.

Chat Noir like all the others had fallen in love with Ladybug whilst Ladybug had fallen in love with Chat's civilian identity. He was able to see she was in love and he didn't know it was with him without the mask, we believe this is why he never tried to go along with her plans.

At the time a miraculous was being missed treated, just as one is now. Hawk Moth has the moth miraculous now but back then the fox miraculous had been taken by someone who went by the name of Vixen.

One day Ladybug and Chat Noir were in a really dangerous situation but due to their constant arguing they never saw the attack until it was too late. By the time either were able to realise how serious the situation was Vixen had grabbed Ladybug by the throat and was choking her. Ladybug passed out quickly and Tikki couldn't keep up the transformation, revealing the girl behind the mask. Chat was so shocked he couldn't move and a few moments later it was too late. Vixen had gone mad and killed Ladybug. This broke Chat, even after he stopped Vixen and had taken the miraculous back. Chat went mad. He…"

Adrien waited with baited breath. What was Plagg going to say.

After a moment it seemed Plagg wasn't going to finish his last sentence.

"What Plagg? What did that Chat do?"

Plagg looked at Adrien with large sad eyes. Closing his eyes the little kawami took a deep breath.

"He became the killer known as Jack the Ripper. It was how he got away and why there was never any proof of what he did."

Adrien gapped at the kawami. He never thought a holder of a miraculous could ever go so far. He tried to imagine the pain that Chat must have felt, honestly he couldn't even start to imagine in. Plagg's sigh brought him back from his thoughts.

"That was when we decided for there to be a restart button so to speak. To try and stop that from happening again."

"How many Chat Noirs have there been since last time?"

"Honestly? There haven't been. You are the next pair. It is rare for Ladybug and Chat Noir to be needed within two hundred years of each other. You are the first pair that have had this."

"Why didn't you think I needed to know about this yet, Tikki was it?, decided Marinette did?"

Plagg shrugged.

"Well you were already smitten with Ladybug almost upon first sight like every Chat before you, which trust me was a great relief let me tell you, and you were very strongly attracted to Marinette also. When you found out her identity there was little chance you would turn her down. Marinette on the other hand though did the usual Ladybug thing of falling for civilian Chat almost as quickly, she was, is, was err… hesitant to accept Chat's love. So was more likely to trigger the restart even with how you both feel."

Plagg had at some point stopped floating and had sat on one of Adrien's knees.

"I didn't tell you because I believed you would accept Ladybug no matter how she approached you. After the last pair Tikki and I have become very wary of how you should approach your partner. That's why Tikki convinced Marinette that no-one was to know your identities, not even each other. We were trying to protect you from the same awful fate but it seems we have gone too far and destroyed a perfect pair."

Plagg starts to float again and moves to just in front of Adrien's face.

"I'm sorry for what we have done."

 

Marinette turns around as she hears Chat leave, emotionless eyes look through the trapdoor. Shaking her head she drags her eyes away, walking over to her desk. Picking up a needle and thread she continues to sew her current project, a little black cat with a ladybug on it's nose. As she continues to sew the toy together she never notices the akuma fluttering through the still open trapdoor. It lands on the thread in her left hand. The only thing Marinette notices is the voice in her head causing her to freeze.

_Marionette it is time for you to pull the strings for once._

_Just bring me Ladybug's and Chat Noir's Miraculous'._

Marinette smiles before replying.

"Of course Hawk Moth."


	6. Chapter 6

Having made his way home, finally, Adrien lay on his bed thinking about what Plagg had told him. The kawami had disappeared as soon as they had got back giving Adrien time to think, surprisingly without asking for any cheese.

He couldn't imagine how the last Chat felt, well he could but not to the same extent. The last Chat believed his Ladybug would never love him back, that she had fallen for another. Adrien knew how that felt a little, he had always worried about not being able to win the heart of his lady. That she would find protection and comfort in another man's arms. It was one of the reasons he flirted so much, one because he couldn't do it in his everyday life and two to try and tell her what she meant to him.

Yet here he was, having won her heart twice and not realising it. How could he have been so blind! She had been in front of him the entire time, well behind him.

He felt this pressure in his chest, he could only imagine it as guilt after everything that happened.

He lifts up the case with her earrings in. they would always be  _hers_  never anyone else's. He only wanted her to be his Ladybug and he had ruined it… for both of them.

"Hey Plagg."

"Yes?"

The little kawami had popped out of his little hidey hole.

"Is there anyway to remove the restart button? I mean it seems a little flawed besides if its gone maybe Marinette can be Ladybug again."

The black cat floats for a moment, deep in thought, before shaking his head.

"I don't think we can? But maybe there is a loophole somewhere. It was designed in a rush sort of."

Adrien watched, as for the first time ever, the little black kawami put some effort into something. After a few minutes the cat flew for Adrien's face.

"I GOT IT!"

Adrien looked at the little thing with hope filled eyes.

"Adrien rejected Marinette right?"

Adrien huffed and rolled his eye's.

"Yep that is sort of what got us into this situation."

"Yes, well, Chat Noir also rejected  _Marinette_. Right?"

Adrien huffed again.

"Yes Plagg, that is how we got in the situation, AGAIN."

"YES I KNOW THAT BUT NEITHER CHAT NOIR NOR ADRIEN REJECTED LADYBUG, ONLY MARINETTE."

Adrien froze. Plagg took this time to explain his thoughts a little better.

"Think about it. Chat Noir is in love with Ladybug. He doesn't know who she is under the mask. Ladybug is in love with civilian Chat Noir but also doesn't know it is him. Civilian Ladybug confesses to civilian Chat Noir and gets rejected. One chance gone. Then Ladybug falls for Chat Noir but still neither knows who is behind the masks. Civilian Ladybug confesses again to Chat Noir and once again he rejects her but really he is rejecting the same girl twice. He hasn't rejected Ladybug as he doesn't know it is her. If we could somehow tweak the settings so Chat Noir or Ladybug have to reject their partner both as a civilian and their partner before the restart takes effect. We might be able to get around it."

Adrien sits up, hope giving his green eyes and unearthly glow.

"Great. How do we do that."

Plagg floats there.

"We need to go see Master Fu. And don't for get Ladybug's earrings! We are going to need Tikki."

Marionette floats through the air the strings attached to her hands and feet disappearing into the air above her. Her outfit changed from the usual white t-shirt, pink three quarter length jeans and black over shirt. Now she was dressed in short sleeved red kimono with golden decorative edging and black belt. Black trousers underneath and her usual pink dolly shoes having changed into matching red ones. She wore a black blindfold over her eyes, after all she wouldn't want to see those sickly green eyes again anytime soon. Her usual hair has changed from the normal pigtails to buns.

Her limbs dangling almost lifelessly as she continues searching. Although she could no longer see she had gained the ability to sense things. She knew where she was going. The saying always said you should follow your heart, well now she was. She was following her heart whilst looking into others. SHE wasn't like other akuma that lashed out at everyone, she had one goal, one target and it just so happened they held everything Hawk Moth wanted.

She can hear them, all the civilians who have looked up and recognised what she is, screaming. Many of them are running, some are even knocking others over in an attempt to get away. It doesn't matter though, none of them are worth her time. She wanders around a little, she knows where to find him, knows his paterns but she hopes he will either meet her or will make it a little harder to find him.

She turns a corner and ... THERE! Like a lit beacon his heart lights up, almost too bright. She focuses on it and she can tell he sees her too. A small smile barely settles on her lips as tears fall down her cheeks. He had been everything to her!

The reason she got up in the morning!

The reason she fought!

The reason no matter how tired she was, no matter how much she thought she was failing, she had always gotten back up and tried again and again and again!

He had left her! He had abandoned her! He was going to pay for all the pain he had put her through!

She started floating towards him, she lifted up on of her hands slowly like someone was gently practicing with the strings attached, aimed for him… and shot a strand of fine thread towards him. She never expected it to hit and it didn't, he had easily dodged it but she had expected him to transform and face her… but he didn't. Instead he turned tail and ran. She gave a short sharp chuckle.

_That's just like her little scaredy cat!_


	7. Chapter 7

Adrien had been walking down a street when he spotted her. There she was… just hanging there. Her usual clothes changed into formal chinese wear. The red he has seen her in many, many times before, now stood out against the blue sky above her.

For a moment his breath caught. She was as beautiful as ever. Floating up there she seemed almost perfect but at the same time… the black blindfold covered her amazingly blue eyes. Even as an akuma she was still … perfect.

"Pssst. Hey kid. I think we'd better leave before she see's us. TOO LATE!"

Plagg's voice made Adrien blink… just in time for him to see the thin string flying for him. He quickly throws himself to the side easily dodging the attack. With a quick glance over his shoulder he starts running down the street. As he runs he starts hearing the others screaming and running as well.

"Ok Plagg. Which way?"

Adrien doesn't stop running as Plagg gives last minute directions, even occasionally late directions making the blond model retrace his steps. Eventually the model stopped outside of a massage shop. Adrien bent over for a minute whilst trying to catch his breath back.

"Hey kid. We really shouldn't be out here for too long."

Adrien frowned as he looked down at the black kawami hiding in his pocket. Plagg almost looked alert if not jumpy, eyes constantly scanning the surrounding area.

"Well we're here so we're safe right?"

Plagg sighed.

"If you haven't noticed Marinette, Ladybug, has been akumatized. You have no idea how powerful a miraculous holder turn akuma really is."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's get inside. Master Fu is better at this sort of thing."

Plagg disappears again into the pocket. Adrien frowns at the kawami's actions before entering the shop. Upon entering Adrien noticed the elderly gentleman stood at the other door way.

"I know you!"

The man smiles before it slips away.

"Greetings Chat Noir. I see things become dangerous for you out there. Maybe you can tell me why Ladybug is currently one of Hawk Moth's akuma over a nice cup of relaxing tea, yes?"

Adrien nods and follows Master Fu into one of the back rooms.

"Please sit. Make yourself at home."

Master Fu quickly starts shifting through his kitchen collecting everything he needs whilst Adrien sits down on the floor at a low tea table. Whilst he sits there he takes out the box that hold Ladybug's earrings. He opens the lid and simply looks at them, remembering everything that had happened.

He smiles gently whilst remembering their first akuma, Stoneheart. Marinette had been so unsure while he had been so happy to just be free. Then after a few encouraging words she almost changed personality completely, taking charge, coming up with a plan, taking risks and saving everyone.

His smile falters for a moment. She had saved everyone… even Chloe. He knew Marinette and Chloe hadn't the best relationship, that had been obvious from the beginning, and yet as Ladybug Marinette had never left the girl to fend for herself. Then when Chloe herself got turned Marinette still saved her.

What has he done? Has he ruined probably the most perfect girl? Has he destroyed everything?

Master Fu enters the room breaking Adrien from his thoughts.

"You and Ladybug have had many adventures together, many conflicts and yet still came out on top. I must wonder what must have happened for such a strong pair to fall apart so disastrously that Ladybug has now become the enemy?"

Adrien shuffled uncomfortably in his seat… before he could open his mouth to respond Plagg flies out.

"The precaution we placed on the miraculous last time is faulty!"

Master Fu focuses on Plagg.

"Is that so? How may I ask is it faulty?"

Adrien finds his voice.

"W-well you see I-I may have rejected Marinette when she tried to tell me her feelings. I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS LADYBUG THOUGH! I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Adrien lets his head drop and focuses on his lap, he can feel Master Fu's gaze on him as well as Plagg's.

"I see…"

Master Fu's voice comes out quiet and calm, almost a whisper.

"If we change it so that both sides of the miraculous user must be rejected we may be able to save Marinette."

Master Fu locks gazes with Adrien for a couple of minutes without saying anything before shaking his head.

"I agree the conditions of the 'safety' feature on the miraculous must be change but marinette would need to be purified of the akuma and the miraculous has already turned against her. That cannot be undone. You have my deepest apologies."

"WHAT! But she's meant to be my soulmate, my other half, how can it not be reversed?!"

Master Fu raises his hands to calm Adrien after the boy had jumped out of his seat.

"Yes she was your soulmate and other half but that has been undone as well, everyone has a couple of soulmates and occasionally some of them are meant to be nothing more then a very good friend. More like a sibling, family that you choose yourself. Not all soulmates have to be the romantic kind."

"But..."

"BUT there is still the matter of an akuma victim roaming the streets of paris. I will have to find another Ladybug to help you fight and perform the miraculous cure."

"NO! I don't want another Ladybug. I want Marinette. There must be a way to free her without giving the Ladybug miraculous to someone else."

Master Fu and Plagg both stare at Adrien for a moment, before sharing a glance between themselves.

"Well there  _is_  another way but the success rate tends to be too low to even consider."

Adrien looks at both kawami and Miraculous guardian with pleading eyes.

"What is it? Please I will try anything!"

Master Fu sighs.

"Before I tell you, you must accept that being Chat Noir the black cat of bad luck i would never recommend you attempt this. Your bad luck without Ladybugs good luck to balance it out might cause you to fail no matter what you do. Are you willing to take the risk that you may fail?"

Adrien's confidence and willingness wavered a little at the thought of failing Marinette after everything that has already happened, but the thought of her smile and the flame that makes her eyes glow as she fights akuma as Ladybug and as she focuses on her crafts as Marinette strengthens his resolve.

"I will do anything to protect my Lady and my princess. Please just tell me what I must do."

Marionette floats outside the Master Fu's massage shop. She can see  _his_ heart burning brightly in there, it faulted for a moment but it's burning strongly again now.

_Why aren't you making more trouble and luring Ladybug and Chat Noir out?_

She sighs as Hawk Moth starts shouting in her head again.

"I will get there in my own time. Just enjoy the show if you must watch."

_Marionette you are under my command you WILL DO AS I SAY!_

She feels him push power through their connection and for other akuma this might have caused them pain and given him control of their bodies but SHE was different. She may be dressed up as a puppet but from now on she was pulling the strings, she has gone from puppet to puppeteer.

"Tut, tut, tut, Hawk Moth. It appears to me you don't know your role in this relationship,  _I_  don't do as  _you, YOU_ do as  _I_ command! NOW BE QUIET!"

She releases a wave of power back through the connection and grins as she hears a muffled scream.

"I am Marionette the Puppeteer. Now one will be pulling my strings ever again!"

_Your move Chat Noir. Lets see what you come up with you unlucky kitty._


	8. Chapter 8

He looks at her with tears in his eyes.

This wasn't how it was meant to happen. Everything should have been fine. How could he have done this to her.

She simply looks up at him with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you."

It's the last thing she says before she disappears her deep ocean blue eyes locked with his until she was no longer there.

He throws his head back and yowls letting the city below hear his grief.

The plan had been simple, there was no way it could have failed and yet here he was staring out over Paris watching a swarm of purified akuma butterflies fly off into the distance. He has no doubt they'll return to Hawk Moth soon enough but he can't tear his eyes away. After they are all that is left of Marinette, his precious, perfect princess and Lady.

Why did it have to turn out like this?

Marionette looks across the city of love and chuckles to herself .

_City of Love huh, could have fooled me. Seems to be the city of the fallen._

She stood at the top of the Eiffel tower waiting for Chat. He would turn up at some point, just like the superhero he thought he was. Someone needed to give that black cat a reality check.

Around half an hour passed before a very familiar black suited catboy landed a little further down the tower. Did the stupid boy think she didn't know he was there?

She twitches her left hand releasing the needle and thread down towards the black cat. He just manages to dodge it, she smiles, now he knows she knows he's there.

The string quickly disappears and the 'hero' starts climbing up towards her though now she can sense he is thinking before moving, always keeping something between them so she never gets a clear shot.

_Clever kitty, what else you got?_

Marionette steps of the Eiffel tower and floats a couple meters away before turning around. She can't help but taunt him before attacking.

"Is that all you got black cat, a little sneak sneaky? No wonder I had to come up with all the plans!"

She can hear him gritting his teeth to stop any possible reply, her smile grows.

"Here Kitty Kitty, lets see how much you like playing with  _this_ ball of string."

She quickly thrusts her left hand towards him again, the needle flying through the air almost invisible with the string following behind it.

Chat dodges again with a flip and landing further down the tower before quickly climbing again. This time he doesn't stop or worry about blocking any possible attacks.

Marionette can see his pattern and shots the needle to the spot his right hand will land next, the needle just misses but manages to slice his suit just below his glove.

Chat's first reaction is to hiss and pull his hand back but this stops his ascent giving Marionette enough time to shot another needle which he just dodges again by jumping to a parallel beam. He sends a quick glare towards her before continuing his climb. Once he gets to the same platform she had been waiting on.

"Marinette, please, you're stronger than Hawk Moth. You can get rid of the akuma."

Her already big smile grows a bit more hearing his plea.

"Oh I know Chat. Don't worry I don't think Hawk Moth will be creating any more akuma after me."

He looks both confused and shocked but he still manages a reply.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you've experienced the connection between holder and kawami. The connection for Hawk Moth and an akuma is very similar, it's almost like we are one but Hawk Moth clearly doesn't understand the connection very well. More to point he didn't realise it was a two way system not just one way. I think he's still recovering from that lesson."

She sent another needle towards the leather clad 'hero'. He, of course, dodges again but it catches the side of his right leg, above his boot. A little blood starts to run from the cut.

"What did you do Princess?"

Marionette lets her smile fall at the old nickname.

"There is no Princess here!"

She fires three more needles towards him in succession, the previous needle having to disappear before the other forms. None of the attacks land but she's not worried the battle is still fresh.

"But if you must know, Hawk Moth is currently understanding how it feels to be without a voice."

Chat stands on the platform with two smears of blood. His lack of injury almost insults her as he stand before her.

"What's your plan Marinette. What's your goal?"

She pulls her lips into a twisted smirk as she faces him.

"I want to pull your heartstrings until you feel like you could die from the pain."

"And how do you plan to do that exactly?"

Her smirk twists into some sort of smile that just promises pain.

"By making you destroy this city you've spent so long protecting. You will be my little puppet of destruction, after all that's you purpose. Right, Black Cat?"

Before he has time to reply she throws another needle his way, this time with perfect precision from her time as Ladybug. It pierces his right foot straight through the palm. She hears his scream and feels the string move to her right foot completing the connection. The needle forms in her left hand again whilst the string resides between their hands.

She gets ready to throw the next needle but as she releases Chat clenches his teeth and jerks his right foot making her change her aim.

This time it's her turn to clench her teeth as she feels the needle form in her left hand again. She takes a deep breath,  _she_ wasn't like other akuma raging at everyone  _she_  had a plan that would work and she needed to have a clear mind for it to work.

She shoots the needle again without any hesitation or chance of Chat ruining her aim again. The needle pierces through his left boot and the connection quickly forms. She hears him scream in pain again, she flinches subtly after all she doesn't want to cause him physical pain but she is sure he doesn't notice it.

Now he is pinned with two of his limbs under her prepares the next needle and becomes confused for a moment as she notices he doesn't even prepare to even trying to avoid the next needle.

_What is your plan little kitty?_

Chat clenches his teeth as he sees the next needle coming towards him but it doesn't stop the scream as the needle pierces his left foot. He know he now cannot move them unless she commands it.

Watching her he notices the subtle details he learnt to watch for when she was Ladybug to know she was aiming for his right hand next. This worked into his plan perfectly, now he just had to time it right and everything would be fine.

As the muscles in her hand twitch in anticipation of sending the needle at him he quickly shouted and summoned his power.

"CATACLYSM!"

She jerks but the needle is already flying for him. He holds up his hand ready to destroy the needle, no doubt in his mind that it holds the akuma. Adjusting his hand to catch meant the needle flew past it and in his shock he tried to grab in. He missed and grabbed the string instead. The effect wasn't instant as the dark energy of the cataclysm ran up the string towards Marionette. The needle was already forming in her hand again but he string refused tp disappear like the energy from the cataclysm kept it solid.

Marionette starts shaking her left hand almost like she was panicking but the string stuck and the dark energy grew closer to her.

Chat knew the exact moment it touched her hand as her scream shattered the silence around them. He watched in horror as the dark energy slowly consumed her entire body. The stings through his feet disintegrating as she loses her akuma powers, this also causes her to start falling. He acts quickly leaping and grabbing ner before using his staff to slow catch them and send them back to the top of the Eiffel tower.

As he lands he lays Marinette down with her head in his arms, as he focuses he sees the cataclysms dark energy destroying her akuma outfit. Her blindfold disintegrates showing her ocean blue eyes beneath, tears pouring out of them, yet a smile appears on her lips.

He smiles down at her but notices the dark energy hasn't stopped yet. He watches in horror as it slowly covers her skin.

He feels something touch his face and his focus returns to hers. The smile is still there, full of the love she feels for him.

"You know what happens now, right Chat Noir."

Her voice is soft, just louder them a whisper. He knows but he shakes his head hoping to dinie what's about to happen. Her smiles brightens.

"Miraculous Ladybug."

"No, don't please you can't."

Tears are streaming down his face as he tries to hold her closer. Her mouth moves but no sound comes out so he leans in a little closer.

"I love you Chat. Thank you."

They are her last words as she bursts into purified akuma butterflies, they swirl around him for a moment, healing all his wounds, before flying through the sky over Paris.

He has no doubt they will make their way back to Hawk Moth at some point but for now he watches them until they are out of sight.

Once they are he throws back his head and yowls to the night sky, as the moon rises, letting the city of love hear his pain of losing his.

"I LOVE YOU MARINETTE! MY PRINCESS AND MY LADY!"


End file.
